Mum outraged when friend asks her to pay £20 to attend birthday party

A mother has sparked an debate after revealing how outraged she was when a friend asked her to pay £20 to attend their birthday party.

Taking to Mumsnet to vent her annoyance, the user asked other members of the parenting forum whether her anger was justified, The Sun reports.

Making the point that she is fond of the friend who sent the invite, the user in question went on to explain that she was irritated at the idea of being 'charged' to attend a friend's party.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

'AIBU [Am I being unreasonable] to think that you don't charge people to attend a party that you have invited them to?' she wrote.

'We've been sent an email party invitation from friends that goes something like this (details changed to protect the innocent!)

'Katie and Rob would like to invite you to their joint 40th. The price is £20 a person and there will be a cash bar. Please RSVP and transfer money by 15th May as we need to pay in advance. Bank details are below. Hope you can make it!'

She went on to explain that, while the party location is nice, there is usually no venue charge, prompting her to speculate whether her friends were giving a '£1k party and asking others to pay for it'.

Asking other users to let her know whether charging your friends to attend a birthday party is 'now a thing', she added: 'I always thought that if you invited guests to a party then you provided food and at least some drink but that it was then OK to ask guests to buy/bring additional drinks…

'I guess if we had been asked if we wanted to join them for dinner in a restaurant I would expect to pay so perhaps I am [being unreasonable].'

Mumsnet users were quick to give their opinion, with many agreeing that it wasn't OK. 'Dreadful. Who does this?!' one wrote, while another added, 'No way is this a thing. I'd not go on principle to be honest as I think it's awful and rude'.

However, some defended the hosts, saying, 'It's not any different from sending a note round to your friends asking if they'd like to come out for a meal to celebrate your birthday.'

Hmm, we're not sure where we stand on this. What do you think? Let us know on Facebook.